Mint 2010 production beats 2009's

The U.S. Mint has now struck more coins for circulation in the first seven months of 2010 as in all of 2009. The July running total of 3.59743 billion pieces eclipses the full-year 2009 total of 3.548 billion coins.

A recovering economy can be expected to use more coins than the recession-battered one of 2009. I have mentioned that from time to time.

However, Mint circulation coin production levels backed off in July, snapping a string of four straight monthly increases that saw the average monthly output surge from 194.4 million coins in February to 918.94 million pieces in June.

But the July production number of 772.08 million coins was still higher than all prior months except June.

Dime output in July was higher than June’s figure at 180 million coins as compared to the prior month’s 146.5 million.

So far in 2010, 586 million dimes have been struck, four times the full-year 2009 total.

Cent production at 455.6 million was strong but behind the June number of 585.6 million.

For the year, 2.30683 billion cents have been produced, less than 48 million behind the full-year 2009 total.

Nickels struck in July totaled 79.2 million coins, down from June’s 83.04 million level. So far in 2010, the Mint has produced 192.24 five-cent coins, about double the 2009 total.

Quarters continue at a sluggish pace. July output of 32.2 million pieces was below June’s 53.8 million.

For the year, the Mint has struck just 209.4 million quarters, about 40 percent of the 2009 total so far.

Total production of the Yosemite design, which is the third quarter of 2010, was an even 70 million, up just slightly from the 68.4 million Yellowstone and 59.6 million Hot Springs coins.

These totals continue to be dramatically lower than the mintages achieved by the state quarter program.

Half dollars and Native American dollars were quiet in July with no new output.
Half dollar output of 3.5 million in 2010 and Native American dollar output of 75.04 million so far in 2010 roughly match the full 2009 totals.

Presidential dollar coins struck were 24.36 million as compared to June’s 49 million coins. Overall, in 2010 the Presidential dollar total stands at 224.42. That has not yet reached the 352.38 million output level of 2009.

Presidential dollar production continues to exceed America the Beautiful quarter production. The James Buchanan coin saw 73.36 million pieces struck, some 3.36 million more than the Yosemite quarter, but this number was slightly smaller than the 76.58 million dollars with Franklin Pierce’s portrait.

Those are the totals. If I try to read much more into them, people will think I don't have enough to do.

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